Fox, Burger King Team Up for Jessica Simpson Fat Joke
Network, NFL and Fast Feeder Know How to Class Up a Joint
We've seen tasteless attempts at humor from Fox and Burger King before, but we have to wonder what Burger King thought it was doing attaching its name to a series of fat jokes about Jessica Simpson. Maybe the target demographic is 18- to 34-year-old men, but surely a restaurant chain that slings heart-attack sandwiches is aware that the majority of American women are larger than the star?
As part of pre-game coverage yesterday, "Fox NFL Sunday" showed a tasteless animated skit featuring the Dallas Cowboys. Here's a shaky version of the video.
If you weren't inclined to watch it, it goes something like this. Facsimiles of Dallas Cowboys players Jason Whitten and Marion Barber joke with coach Wade Phillips about quarterback Tony Romo and Simpson. The four men then share a laugh about Mr. Phillips' chances of being around next season.
The cheap shots at Romo are meant to mock his poor performance recently, but almost all of those involve Simpson's weight. She and Romo broke up months ago, by the way. And Simpson, who is curvy only by Hollywood's warped size-0 ideal, is likely in better shape than the millions who tuned in.
At NBCDFW.com, the NBC affiliate for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, locals voting on the spot were 45% furious, 27% bored, 18% laughing and 9% thrilled at press time.
And while BK has had its share of degrading, stupid and insensitive work this year, it didn't create the skit. Burger King spokeswoman Katie Boylan confirmed that the chain sponsored the skit, but Fox created it. She declined to comment further. A Fox Sports spokesman said that Burger King does not approve the sketches before they air. A call to Ms. Simpson's publicist was not immediately returned.
Fox wrote, produced and aired the bit nationally, in other words. Still, there's Burger King's name, big as day, right before the skit starts. Weight jokes associated with a fast-food chain just strike us as dumb no matter how you look at it. Consider the Whopper. The sandwich has 19 Weight Watchers points, or just under the average daily goal. Adding fries and a small shake would take you up to 45 points, or more than the average woman should consume in two days. Laughing yet?
RSS Feed›› Adages
Most Recent Posts 
- JC Penney's 'Doghouse' Returns
- Autism Speaks Hosts Chicago Fundraiser
- The Invisible Hand of Agency Culture
- Buffalo Soldiers Wings & Things
- Publicis' 'Boost' Wins Create for a Cause Contest
- A DigitalNext Challenge: What's Your Favorite Consumer Mobile Application?
- BCS Enters Twitter: Beat Down Like Notre Dame in a Bowl Game
- What Kind of Agency Are You?
- Vice Finds Oil in L.A. for Palladium Boots
- Scuzzy Bubbles Are Filthy Little Pervs in Method Video
- The Coming Darwinism of IPhone Apps
- Behind the Redesign: Virgin.com Mixes Social Activity and Lead Generation
- How Black Friday Can Be Brown Friday
- Trees for Troops: Helping Military Families
- Your Experience Is Your Biggest Hurdle
White Paper
The New Female Consumer: The Rise of the Real Mom
This Advertising Age and JWT white paper explores what multiple generations of American women want when it comes to family, work and life in the 21st century, decades after the women's liberation movement.
Bob Garfield
Verizon Exiles IPhone to Island of Misfit Toys for the Holidays
Too-Cool Apple Now Finding Itself on the Receiving End of Competitor Ridicule
Special Report
America's Hottest Brands
Advertising Age Honors the Top Brands of the Year -- and the Brains Behind Them
3 Minute Ad Age Video
Marketers as Media Companies: A Disruptive Trend Revisited
Ad Age Editor Jonah Bloom at the ANA Conference
Special Report
Marketer of the Year: Hyundai
The carmaker won handily in our reader poll, besting Walmart, McDonald's, Lego and Amazon
Ad Age Video
Eddie Murphy's Long-Term Effect on Ad Agency Diversity
The Video Story of Dallas' Marcus Graham Project
Weekly Online Poll
Will small digital-production shops working directly with clients turn big digital agencies into unnecessary middlemen?
White Paper: 2010 America
What the 2010 Census Means for Marketing and Advertising
2010 America explains what you need to know about the biggest consumer market-research project of the decade: the 2010 U.S. census. Demographics expert Peter Francese, author of this highly readable Ad Age white paper, analyzes what the census will reveal about the changing face of consumers.
Most Read Most E-Mailed
Most Read Most E-mailed
- Marketers Hop on Augmented Reality Bandwagon to Promote 'Avatar'
- AT&T Strikes Back at Verizon With Its Own Comparison Campaign
- AT&T's Verizon Lawsuit Gives 'Map for That' Ad New Life
- How Technological Illiteracy Will Cost Creatives Their Jobs
- What Landing Cadbury Would Mean for Kraft, Ferrero, Hershey
Be part of the celebration at The Ad Age Media Mavens Awards Luncheon
Sponsored by ESPN. Join the world's leading media strategists for a celebration of creative thinking, innovation and a look at how the best are preparing for 2010. More
(What is RSS?)
"And while BK has had its share of degrading, stupid and insensitive work this year, it didn't create the skit. Burger King spokeswoman Katie Boylan confirmed that the chain sponsored the skit, but Fox created it. She declined to comment further. A Fox Sports spokesman said that Burger King does not approve the sketches before they air."
--Ken Wheaton
@brianmcmath
I doubt that the brand manager at BK gave Fox full authority to do this without giving BK one final look at the script...at least the script! And if no one at BK followed up, heads should roll. Enough is enough.
I'm lucky not to have a weight issue, even though I eat what I want, when I want. I attribute that to good genes. But I can't help feeling disgusted with this type of editorial.
try not to be so snarky. we can read. excuse some of us for not enaging in a silly discussion over every little tactic that comes by, instead taking a bigger picture view of how the BK brand is being (mis)managed.
If you want to look at BK's marketing one piece at a time, good for you. In the end, tho, a brand is the sum of many parts. Crispin has its mitts on the BK brand steering wheel, like it or not.
--Ken
As a white male and member of a fraternity, I am appalled that you would make comments like you have. While I agree that the message in this video is offensive,what is equally as offensive is your insensitive reverse-racist comments made IN POSTS CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS OF THIS AD AGENCY AS BEING INSENSITIVE. Not all white males are sophomoric, insensitive a-holes. That is just another stereotype that you are guilty of supporting in your earlier posts in this thread.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2009/10/fox-burger-king-apologize-for-cowboys-cartoon-skit-mocking-jessica-simpsons-weight/1
One simple question: Is the offense-apologize tendency part of a big-new strategy? Just wondering...
Crispin's style has always been to push the envelope. The ad has generated a lot of mixed emotions. Views sky rocket when there is a controversy surrounding an issue. Negative publicity is still publicity. It is no secret that negative publicity can turn out to benefit the advertising company and the client.